Hand truck drum handling device



July 6, 1954 Filed June 15, 1951 E. L. G REENAWALT HAND TRUCK DRUM HANDLING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTOR. I EDD/E LEE 6'R'EM4W4LT fa/2M A 7 ORN Er y 1954 E. L. GREENAWALT HAND TRUCK DRUM HANDLING DEVICE 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed June 15, 1951 INVENTOR A-"DD/E 15f GREE/VAIWLT C A'rTQR/VEY y 1954 E. L. GREENAWALT HAND TRUCK DRUM HANDLING DEVICE Filed June 15, 1951 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 IN VEN TOR. 500/5 L 55 G PEEMOMLT Patented July 6, 1954 UNITED STATES OFFICE 2 Claims. (01. 214-.653)

This invention relates to a drum handling device and more particularly to an attachment for a conventional transport truck which may be either of the hand truck type or of the type employing power driven lifting and transporting means.

The primary object of the invention is to facilitate the handling of a conventional material confining drum of the type commonly employed in the transportation and storing of liquids or the like.

In the ordinary handling of drums of the type above referred to it has been customary first to place the drum on a pallet or the like so that the forks of a conventional lift truck could be entered beneath the pallet in order to lift the drum. After transportation of the drum, it was lowered together with the pallet and then manually removed from the pallet and rolled or shoved to the desired location. Such handling and transporting of drums not only involves the expenditure of a large amount of manual effort but entails much loss of time as the truck usually remains idle while the operator loads and unloads or assists in loading and unloading a drum onto or fromfthe truck.

Another object of the invention isto enable a drum to be loaded onto a truck or unloaded therefrom without requiring the truck operator to leave his operating station. 7

U A further object is to enable the load carried by the truck to be deposited in an exact spot without requiring the manual handling thereof.

The above andother objects may be attained by employing this invention which embodies among its features a frame adapted to be connected to a conventional material handling truck,

a column mounted on said frame for lateral shifting movement relative thereto, a cradle carried by the column adjacent the lower end thereof for partially embracing the load to be lifted and centering the column'relatlve to said load, and means at'the top of the column for gripping and lifting the load and holding it suspended in the cradle.

ther features include a bracket carried at the top of the column in overhanging relation to the cradle, a hook carried by the bracket and having a notch therein for receiving the chime of a drum as the truck is advanced toward said drum and means carried by the hook and engaging the bracket for holding said hook in chime embracing position.

In the drawings; I

Figure 1 is a side view of one type of drum handling device embodying the features of this invention;

Figure 2 is a front end view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary plan view of the device of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the frame and cradle member;

Figure 5 is a fragmentary side view of the drum suspending hook and supports therefor showing the position of the hook in its partially open position; v

Figure 6 is a view similar to Figure 5- showing the hook locked in its fully open position;

Figure 7 is a fragmentary sectional view taken substantially on the line '|1 of Figure 1;

Figure 8 is a side view of a modified form of the invention showing its adaptation to a hand truck;

Figure 9 is a front view of Figure 8';

Figure 10 is a fragmentary enlarged view showing the drum suspending hook in detail, and

Figure 11 is an enlarged horizontal sectional view taken substantially on the line IL-H of Figure 9.

Referring to the drawings in detail a main supporting frame designated generally l0 comprises a pair of spaced parallel uprights 12 car-' rying adjacent their upper and lower ends coupling hooks M by which the device is connected to the power lift of a conventional material handling truck (not shown). The'uprights H "are held in spaced relation at their lower ends by a cylindrical cross bar l6 and a similar cross bar Is is connected to the uprights l2 adjacent their upper ends to hold said uprights parallel.

Mounted for horizontal sliding movement on' the cross bars l6 and I8 between the uprights I2 is a column designated generally '29. This column comprises a pair of spaced parallel side bars 22 which extend upwardly frombelow the cross bar [6 tea common plane slightly above the cross bar is. An arcuate cradle 24 is coupled at 25a to the side bars 22 adjacent their connection with the cross bar It and follows an arc of a size which substantially coincides with the periphery of a drum to "be handled. The connection by which the cradle 24 is coupled to the side bars 22 serves to .hold said bars in spaced relation adj acent their lower ends. Each side bar 22 is provided adjacent its upper end with a laterally extending arm v2 6 which overhangs the cradle 24 and the upper edges of the arms 26 and the top ends of the side bars 22 are covered by a cap plate 28 which holds the upper ends of the bars 22 in spaced relation and forms with the arms 26 a bracket designated generally 31] which overhangs the cradle in radial relation 3 therewith. As illustrated in the drawings the arms 26 are recessed as at 82 adjacent their junctions with the side bars 22 to accommodate the upper end of a drum during the loading and unloading thereof.

As illustrated the arms 26 are provided intermediate their ends with longitudinally extending elongated registering slots 34 in which works a pivot pin 36 on which a latch member designated generally 38 is mounted to work within the bracket 34] between the arms 25. Formed in each arm 26 adjacent the end thereof remote from the side bars 22 is an L-shaped slot 49, one leg of which extends substantially vertically while its opposite leg lies substantially horizontally and is directed toward the side bars 22. y The L-shaped slot 4!] in one arm registers with that in the opposite arm and carried by the latch member 38 is a cross pin 42 opposite ends of which are received in the slots 40. It will then be seen that when the latch member is in load holding position as shown in Figure l the pivot pin 35 will be at the end of the slot 34 adjacent the slots 46 while the cross pin 42 will be in the vertical legs of the slots 46 adjacent the upper ends thereof.

The hook 313 is of substantially inverted L-shape carrying on its vertical leg 44 an arcuate drum engaging pad 46 and having formed on the under side of its substantially horizontal leg a latch lifting cam 48. A chime receiving opening 50 is formed in the hook 38 adjacent the junction of the legs thereof and this opening communicates with the space between the legs through a reduced neck 52.

In the modified form of the invention a hand truck designated generally 54 comprising elongated spaced parallel side bars 56 carry adjacent one end of the truck 54 handles 58 which are grasped by the operator when the truck is being manipulated. Secured to the ends of the side bars 56 remote from the handles are forwardly and downwardly inclined ground engaging shoes '60 which are provided at their upper ends with a cross member 62 carrying a transversely extending axle 64 adjacent opposite ends of which wheels 66 are mounted to rotate.

Mounted for sliding movement on the cross member 62 intermediate the ends thereof is an upwardly extending column designated generally 68, the upper end of which is mounted for sliding movement on a rearwardly offset cross bar It carried by the side bars 56 adjacent the handles 58. Mounted for rocking movement about a horizontal axis on a pivot pin 12 carried by the column 68 adjacent the lower end thereof is an arcuate cradle 14 having a curvature to fit a conventional drum. The column 68 is provided adjacent its upper end with a longitudinal row of longitudinally spaced parallel transversely extending openings 18 for receiving a supporting cross pin '18 upon which rests the carriage 80 to be more fully hereinafter described.

The carriage 8!! above referred to comprises a sleeve 82 which encircles the column 558 and rests on the cross pin 18 and carried by said sleeve 82 and extending laterally therefrom is a bracket designated generally 84. bracket 84 comprises a pair of horizontally extending spaced parallel arms 8% carrying at their upper edges a cap or web member 38. A pivot pin 9 extends transversely through the arms 35 adjacent the end of the bracket 64 remote from the sleeve 82 and pivotally supports a latch member 92 having an opening 94 extending therethrough which opens through a constricted passage 95 through the bottom edge of the latch member. Mounted on opposed trunnions 96 which extend laterally from the sleeve 82 for sliding movement toward and away from the latch member is a U-shaped handle 98 through the legs of which extends a bar II!!! which extends through elongated longitudinal slots I02 formed in the arms 86 adjacent the latch member 92 and engages in a notch I04 in the latch member 92 for holding said latch member against movement about the pivot 90. The latch member 92 is provided on its under side between the constricted passage 95 and the pivot with a curved cam face I06 and carried by the latch member 92 on the side of the constricted passage 25 remote from the cam face IDS is an arcuate drum engaging pad I08.

In use the frame Ill is coupled by the hooks Hi to the conventional hoist pads carried by the mast of a conventional lifting truck. With the device thus in place on the truck, the truck is driven toward the drum to be transported with the hoist pads elevated to such an extent that bottom edges of the arms 26 will just escape the top edge of the upper chime of the drum. As the truck is advanced toward the drum the cradle engages the drum and shifts the carriage 20 so that the bracket 30 aligns axially with the vertical axis of the drum. Further advance of the truck will bring the cam face 48 into contact with the chime of the drum and cause said latch member to rock about its pivot pin 36 into substantially the position shown in Figure 5. Upon further advance of the truck toward the drum, the pad 46 is contacted by the drum to shift the latch toward the frame Ii! as shown in Figure 6, thus bringing the opening 5!) directly above the chime with the constricted passage 52 so positioned that upon lowering the frame It, the chime will enter the opening 50 through the constricted passage. With the frame H3 and carriage 20 thus lowered, the truck is so driven as to recede from the drum, thus causing the latch member 38 to slide in the bracket until the cross pin 42 aligns with the vertical legs of the L-shaped slots 40 at which time the latch rocks about its pivot pin 36 into substantially the position illustrated in Figure 1. With the parts in this position the hoist mechanism of the truck is operated so as to lift the drum by its chime. When so elevated, the drum may be moved and deposited in a desired location by simply lowering it and moving the bracket 30 downwardly so as to lift the latch into substantially the position shown in Figure 5 and by slightly advancing the truck toward the drum, the latch 38 will be locked by the horizontal legs of the slots 4 in chime releasing position so that when the device is elevated by the lift mechanism of the truck, the truck may back away from the drum leaving the latter where it was deposited. Thus by employing this invention any manual handling of the drum is avoided.

In the modified form of the invention illustrated in Figures 8 through 11, a hand truck equipped with my invention can be employed to lift a drum by adjusting the carriage 80 a height just sufiicient for the bracket 84 to clear the top chime of a drum. As the truck is tilted toward the drum substantially as shown in Figure 8 the cross pin I00 is engaged in the L-shaped notch I06 in the latch 92 to hold said latch 92 elevated so that the constricted passage will admit the chime of the drum to the opening 94.

As the bracket 84 approaches the drum the carriage 89 is lifted so as to cause the bottom edges of the arms 86 to escape the top of the chime. When the constricted passage 95 aligns with the chime the carriage 89 is lowered so as to enter the chime into the opening 94 through the constricted passage 95. At this stage, the handle 98 is moved to withdraw the cross pin I90 from the L-shaped notch I96 so as to let the latch 92 rock about the pivot 90 into substantially the position shown in Figure 10. The handle 98 is then moved to advance the cross pin into the notch H14 in the latch. The truck may then be tilted back toward the user and rolled with the drum thereon to the desired destination where the drum may be released from the latch 92 by retracting the handle 98 and tilting the truck toward the drum, to lift the latch 92 and rock it about the pivot 99 and upon advancing the cross pin I99 into the substantially inverted L- shaped notch H0 the device will be ready for a repeat operation.

What is claimed is:

1. In a drum handling attachment a vertically movable bracket, a latch member mounted in said bracket for rocking movement about a horizontal axis, said latch member having a chime receiving opening extending therethrough and a constricted passage communicating through one edge with the opening, a pad carried by the latch member for engaging a drum and rocking said latch member about its pivot and means carried by the bracket and engaging the latch member for holding said latch member with the constricted passage in chime receiving position, and laterally shiftable means connected to the bracket for coupling said bracket to a truck.

2. Drum handling apparatus comprising an elongated substantially vertical frame, means for coupling said frame to the hoist mechanism of a lift truck, an elongated substantially vertical column mounted adjacent opposite ends in the frame for movement laterally relative thereto, a cradle carried by the column adjacent the lower end thereof for partially embracing a drum, a bracket carried by the column adjacent the upper end thereof and overhanging the cradle, said bracket having an elongated horizontally disposed opening extending therethrough intermediate the ends thereof and a substantially L- shaped opening extending therethrough between the elongated opening and the end of the bracket remote from the column, a pivot pin extending through the elongated opening, a chime engaging and holding latch carried by the pivot pin and. a cross pin carried by the latch and working in the L-shaped slot to hold the latch in various positions relative to the bracket.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,324,361 Chandler July 13, 1943 2,360,858 Ernst Oct. 24, 1944 2,399,360 Lacey Apr. 30, 1946 2,447,300 Williams Aug. 17, 1948 2,620,937 Halloran Dec. 9, 1952 

